New York

05 September 2018

Secretary-General's remarks at launch of the New Climate Economy report

I am very pleased to join you for the launch of the New Climate Economy report from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate.

I want to thank the Co-Chairs, Lord Nicholas Stern and Ngozi Knokjo-Iweala, as well as former president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, for their leadership.

Over the past four years, the Commission has helped to advance understanding of the links between economic prosperity, sustainable development and climate change.

It has shown that climate action and socio-economic progress are mutually supportive.

Yet, despite some encouraging momentum, we are not making progress fast enough.

Climate change is running faster than we are.

The impacts are devastating, and it is usually the poorest and the most vulnerable who are hit first and worst by storms, floods, droughts, wildfires and rising seas.

Women and girls will suffer especially, as they are always the most disproportionately affected by disasters.

Last year, climate-related disasters were responsible for thousands of deaths and $320 billion dollars in losses.

This year, we have seen the terrible flooding in Kerala in India, savage wildfires in California and Canada, and dramatic warming in the Arctic that is affecting weather patterns across the northern hemisphere.

The trend is clear.

The last 19 years included 18 of the warmest years on record, and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise.

As a forthcoming IPCC report will show, time is running out to keep global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees.

A significant gap remains between the national commitments and the emissions reductions we need.

Runaway climate change is a real possibility, with severe implications for communities, economies, peace and the security of nations.

Climate change has been proven to amplify and exacerbate other risks.

Put simply, we need climate action to prevent ever greater crises.

We must act with greater ambition and urgency.

The New Climate Economy report shows how.

First, it highlights how momentum for climate action is growing every day.

Over 130 of the world’s most influential companies have now committed to using only renewable energy.

Eighteen multinationals have committed to using only electric vehicles.